THE ARMY OF CHRIST

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=80 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" bgproperties="fixed" background="03c00500dvldtc.png"> <div> <B>Revelation</B><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFFFCC" FACE="Arial" ><B>     |     </B></FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#00FF00" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Revelation"><U><B>home</B></U></A></FONT></div> <div> <A HREF="armageddon.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON"><U><B>THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON</B></U></A><B> / </B><A HREF="the_day_of_the_lord.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="THE ARMY OF CHRIST"><U><B>THE ARMY OF CHRIST</B></U></A><B> / </B><A HREF="lake_of_fire.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="BEAST AND FALSE PROPHET THROWN INTO THE "><U><B>BEAST AND FALSE PROPHET THROWN INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE</B></U></A><B> / </B><A HREF="satan_chained_.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="SATAN BOUND FOR 1000 YEARS"><U><B>SATAN BOUND FOR 1000 YEARS</B></U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="03dd2c00dvldtc.png"> <div> <A HREF="armageddon.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON"><U>Previous Page</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="lake_of_fire.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="BEAST AND FALSE PROPHET THROWN INTO THE "><U>Next Page</U></A></div> <div>   <P><CENTER><A href="http://www.christiansunite.com/hit/" target="_top"><IMG src="http://www.christiansunite.com/hit/count.cgi?account=bryant_family_2&code=site&count=1" border=0 width=96 height=40 alt="The Christian Counter"></A><BR><font size=1><A href="http://www.christiansunite.com/hit/" target="_top">The Christian Counter</font></A></CENTER><P>   </div> <bR> <div> <B>Revelation 19:11-16</B>, "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.  His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.  And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.  And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.  And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.  And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."</div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=400 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <B><U>THE ARMY OF CHRIST</U></B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="088aaed0.jpg" border=0 width="170" height="237" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.revelationillustrated.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.revelationillustrated.com/"><U>Art used by permission by Pat Marvenko Smith, copyright 1992.</U></A></div> <bR> <div> It is the angels that gather in the harvest and throw it into the winepress,  but note, that it is Jesus at the battle of Armageddon with his armies who <I>"...treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God."</I></div> <bR> <div> We Christians know that the term "Christ" is the Greek equivalent of Messiah in the Hebrew. We have accepted by the preponderance of proof contained in scripture that Jesus is the Messiah. Unfortunately many Jewish people still refuse to acknowledge that Jesus is and always has been their long awaited Messiah.</div> <bR> <div> The Hebrews of Jesus' day did not desire a Messiah who would die as Jesus did for the forgiveness of sin. They desired a Messiah who would lead them to victory and make them the supreme rulers of the world. Because of this, many refused to see Jesus as the Messiah and still refuse even today. When Jesus returns, it will be then that the people of Israel will recognise their desired Kingly Messiah. Unfortunately it will be too late for many of them who have time and again fervently denied that Jesus is the Messiah. </div> <bR> <div> Jesus said in <I><B>Matthew 10:32, </B></I><I>"Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven."</I> But there is a down side to this verse and it is contained in the next verse, <I><B>Matthew 10:33, </B></I><I>"But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven."</I></div> <bR> <div> The troops that accompany Jesus when he returns are <I>"...clothed in fine linen, white and clean. "</I> The description of the apparel is important because it tells us who the people are that are following Jesus on white horses of their own. </div> <bR> <div> Earlier in the chapter in verse eight the bride of Christ is described in the very same manner:</div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Revelation 19:8</B></I><I>, </I><I>"And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints."</I><I> </I></div> <bR> <div> It is the bride of Christ, or the Church that is accompanying Jesus on His return to the earth on the day of the Lord.</div> <bR> <div> In the passage from Joel verses 2-11 the <I>"…great people and a strong…"</I> are described as having <I>"…the appearance of horses and of horsemen…"</I>  Some would say that this is a description of the horsemen of the 200 million demon/man army loosed on the world after the blowing of the sixth trumpet-warning to kill one third of mankind. This cannot be for a number of reasons.</div> <bR> <div> 1.  The 200 million demon/men army was released on a decimated world at the blowing of the sixth trumpet in order to set up the kingdom of the beast from the sea. The passage from Joel is speaking about the day of the Lord, not the sixth trumpet. At the day of the Lord the beast from the sea already has his kingdom set up and the bowl plagues have already been poured out. The day of the Lord is when the Lord returns to fight against the beast of the sea. </div> <bR> <div> 2.  In <B>Joel 2:10-11</B> the army is described as follows, <I>"The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining: And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?"</I> Joel states that it is the Lord who is in charge of this army. This cannot be the 200 million demon/man army because that army is the pawn of the devil.</div> <bR> <div> 3.  And finally, just because Joel describes his army as having the appearance of horses and horsemen does not make it the 200 million demon/man army. The bride of Christ is also described as following Jesus on white horses of their own. <I><B>Revelation 19:14</B></I><I>, "And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean."</I></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>